Track-chain.



E. F. NORELIUS. TRACK CHAIN. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 30. 1914.

Patented Mar. 5, 191a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL F. NOBELIUS, OF PEOBIA, ILLINOI COMPANY, OF PEOBIA. ILLINOIS,

S, ASSIGNOB TO =HOLT MANUFACTURING I A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

TRACK-CHAIN.

Specification o1 Application died September 30, 1914. Serial No. 864,253.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Earn. F. Nonnnrus, a citizen of the United States, residin at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and tate of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Track-Chains, of

which the followlng is specification.

My invention relates to improvements in endless, flexible, self-laying track chains and has for one object to provide a new and improved type of chain which will be durable, cheap convenient and easily assembled. It is illustrated diagrammatically in one form in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a detailed side elevation of a portion of the endless, flexible, self-laying truck with parts omitted;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation in part section on an enlarged scale of a single link;

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line H of Fig. 3;

Fig. Fig. 3; p

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Like parts are indicated by like letters throughout the several figures.

A is an idler wheel; A a driving sprocket wheel and A a roller supporting wheel of an endless, flexible, self-laying truck. The remaining parts of the truck are omitted for the sake of clearness. These wheels guide and drive respectively and are surrounded and supported by t e endless, flexible self-laying track chain which chain is made up of a series of pivotally connected links having tacting sur ace and on the other slde the track forming surface along which the truck rolls laying down and picking1 up the chain as it travels or progresses int e well-known manner. This chain is made up of a series of links which together with their connecs tion are illustrated in Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive.

B is a tread or ground contactin surface. It is corrugated as indicated an has upwardly curved sides B and downwardly extending integral cleats 01' teeth B and carries on its 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of back integral therewith link members B, B. These link. members are re essed or apertured as at B for lightness and to prevent clogging of material. The link members B, B are provided at one end with inwardly extending hubs B, B apon one side a tread ground conertured as at B. sets asfat B B and provided with hubs'B, B aperturedas at B The offsets B B are of such depth that the distance between the outside of the surface of the hubs B, B respectively is sufliciently lessthan the dis: tance between the inside surface or ends of the hubs B, B to permit insertion of the hubs B, B between the hubs B, B". The trend portion B is bounded at one end'by a curved extension C located beneath the hubs B, B and is concentric with and tied by the web (1. It is bounded at theother end by a broken curved member C beneath and concentric with the hubs B, B and'integral with the ends of the link. This member'is cut away as at C C to provide a central curved portion or tongue D which is adapted to be inserted between the hubs B, B and the portion C tion of the two adjacent links without interference by the web C so as to provide a closure between the top and bottom of the series of links.

D is a sleeve forced into the hubs B", B through the aperture B and overlying the tongue D which in effect is part of the curved portion C the width of said tongue D being equal to the distance between the hubs B, B. 2 is a pin adapted to be forced into the sleeve D and engage the hubs B, B through the aperture B. It will be noted that the hub B? is recessed as at D to engage the offset head D on the pin D D is a cotter in introduced into the and to permit rota-' At the other end are ofi- I opposed end of the pin D to hold the pin against longitudinal displacement.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows: 1

The combined two-part track link and .tread section are cast in the form as indicated. A'hardened steel bushing or sleeve is forced into the largeaperture in one end of the track links. The link or tread sections are assembled on a board or other suitable manner; the broad curved portion on the left-hand end overlying the narrow portion on the right hand and engaged beneath the hub containing sleeve and the sleeve itself. The pin is then forced through the two sets of hubs and bearing at its center on the positioned sleeve or bushing. The offset head on the pin engaging the recess on one of the outside hubs prevents rotation of the pin with respect to the outside link and thus ro- I tation takes place within the bearing and mized.

aline proximate ends, means for connecting said since the bearingand sleeve are both hardened a minimum of wearcan take place.. The tread surface itself thus forms a tie to bind and steady and hold in parallelism the two parallel links, and thus the bearing sleeve may be designed with respect to hardness. and durability of the bearing element only and need not'have any peculiar strength against twisting or bending andof course sin e itdoes not have to submit to any bending r twisting strains the bearingsremain parallel and accurate and wear is thus m ni- I claim: q p

1. A tread link section comprising two subs antially parallel track linkshaving sleeve-receiving openings at their links together, a bearing sleeve 'forced into said openings from one side of the links'and held, against rotation relatively to said links,

and a pin adapted to be mounted in the opposite proximate ends of the links and to be inserted in the bearing sleeve of an adjacent link, said pin when assembled being rigid said opening relatively to the link in which it is mount- .ed but movable in the bearing sleeve of the adjacent link.

A combinedtrack and tread link section comprising two substantially parallel track links Vhavingalined sleeve-receiving openings at their proximate ends, a tread web integral with the links and connecting them together a bearin sleeve forced into 35., i rom one side of the links and held against rotation relatively to said links, and a pin adapted to. be mounted in the opposite proximate ends of thelinks and to be inserted in the bearing sleeve of an a adjacent link, said'pin when assembled be- 

